Ultraman
is the second entry of the Ultra Series. It is a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q, though not technically a sequel or spin-off. The show was produced by the Tsuburaya Productions, and was broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) from July 17, 1966 to April 9, 1967, with a total of 39 episodes (40, counting the pre-premiere special that aired on July 10, 1966). Although Ultraman is the first series to feature an Ultra-Crusader, it is actually the second show in the Ultra Series. Ultra Q was the first. In fact, Ultraman opens with the Ultra Q logo exploding into the Ultraman logo. Ultraman ultimately became a major pop culture phenomenon in Japan. The show's success spawned dozens of sequels, spin-offs, imitators, parodies and remakes. Production Ultraman's central characters were created by Eiji Tsuburaya from Tsuburaya Productions, a pioneer in special effects who was responsible for bringing to life in 1954. The show's predecessor was a series called Ultra Q, a 28-episode series very much like the original . The Ultraman project had the following working titles/plots: * : This story featured a corporeal space creature with two large eyes, who befriended a reporter named Joji Akita, but the , who perceived the alien as a threat, went after them. This was basically the monster version of the British science fiction series (1963), and Woo's personality was also to be comical. The name "Woo" ended up being used for an otherwise unrelated, yeti-like monster, in episode 30 of Ultraman. Later, Tsuburaya Productions would ultimately produce a series dubbed , in January 2006, but this series is very loosely based on the original concept. * , then retitled : The main characters are a defense force, with the same Japanese name as the Science Special Search Party (often dubbed as the "Science Patrol"), but disguised as an art/photography team. One of the members, little did anyone (even his teammates) know, gained the ability to transform into a giant birdlike humanoid monster called Bemlar (not the same Bemlar that Ultraman would fight in the first episode of the actual series), who defends Earth from monsters, aliens and other threats. Unlike Woo, Bemlar was a tough and righteous fighter, and he looked very similar in design to the title monster of the 1967 film . Allegedly, the plot was scrapped when it was worried audiences might have trouble telling that one monster was good and the other evil. * : The title hero of this project slightly resembled Ultraman as he came to be known, but he looked more demonic and had horns. He came to Earth after his planet was destroyed by aliens from (Ultraseven also shared this working title). Both Bemlar and Redman were designed by Toru Narita, who also came up with the final design for Ultraman based on his Redman design, now resembling a less-scary -style alien being, mixed with a bit of the iconic " ." The characteristic "Color Timer," more familiar to American audiences as the "warning light" on Ultraman's chest, was added at the eleventh hour. The first series begins when member Shin Hayata is flying his plane and a red sphere of light crashes into his Mini-VTOL. The sphere turns out to be the transport (Travel Sphere) for a red-and-silver giant being who calls himself Ultraman. Feeling remorse for having killed the human, he merges his essence with Hayata to revive him. In return, Hayata serves as the human form for this being, and whenever danger threatens, and the resources of the Science Special Search Party are not enough to counter it, he raises and activates a power-object and artifact called a "beta capsule" and transforms to Ultraman to save the day. Plot The storyline begins in the near future, as referenced from the mid-1960s. In episode 23, "My Home Is Earth," it is definitively established that the series takes place in the early 1990s with a plaque, shown at the end of the episode, and dated 1993. However, this was later retconned by the introduction of The Return of Ultraman, which takes place in 1971. Sinister aliens and giant monsters constantly threaten civilization during this period. The only Earth organization equipped to handle these disasters and menaces is the Science Special Search Party, or SSSP, a special worldwide police force equipped with high-tech weapons and vehicles as well as extensive scientific and engineering facilities; this organization is called the Science Patrol, or the United Nations Scientific Investigation Agency, in the English-dubbed version syndicated in the United States. The branch of the Science Special Search Party that is focused on in the series is located in Tokyo, Japan. Led by Captain "Cap" Toshio Muramatsu (shortened to "Captain Mura" in the dubbed English-language version), the Science Special Search Party is always ready to protect the Earth from rampaging monsters. But sometimes it finds itself outclassed. One day, Shin Hayata, the Patrol's most capable member, was patrolling near a lake when he witnessed a space monster named Bemular flee, being chased by an orb of red energy. Hayata also gave chase to Bemular, but the orb of red energy collided with Hayata's ship, causing both to crash land and killing Hayata in the process. Ultraman, who was generating the red orb, felt guilty for killing the capable scientist/soldier, and to make up for the terrible thing he had done, chose to revive Hayata in exchange for him becoming his host, who would contain him while he was on Earth. From that day forward, Ultraman staunchly defended Earth against aliens and monsters, with Hayata and the SSSP assisting him. After Ultraman appeared, he would fight the threat till it was defeated, and he would then fly away to revert to his host. (This was shown, twice, by Ultraman firing a ring of energy from his hands that would fly to a safe location, and then energy from it would materialize Hayata even as Ultraman himself faded away at the same time.) Ultraman's victory was never assured, however, as Ultraman's powers and, indeed, his very life force, came from rapidly depleted solar energy, which was heavily reduced by Earth's filtering atmosphere. When Ultraman first appears, his "color timer," or "warning light," is always a rich cyan color. As time goes on, the color timer turns solid red, and then starts to blink, giving off a warning chime as it does so. When Ultraman runs out of energy, the color timer goes out, and turns black. Ultraman's color timer is linked directly to his heart, and damaging it will cause mortal injury or serious pain to Ultraman. In the series finale, a race of Aliens named the Zettonians, and their vanguard Kaiju, Zetton, attack. Ultraman appears to fight Zetton, but is mortally wounded after Zetton, employing a weapon Ultraman had not expected (one directly targeting his color timer/warning light), damages his color timer/warning light, causing him to lose almost all his energy instantly. When Zoffy, Ultraman's superior, comes to retrieve the fallen hero, Ultraman pleads for Hayata's life and offers his life completely, so that Hayata may live as a normal man. Zoffy then says he has brought two life-forces and that he will give one to Hayata. He then separates them, giving Hayata new life, but Hayata seems to have no memory between the time he first collides with Ultraman's ship (in the first episode), and he is shown standing outside the Science Special Search Party Headquarters, holding the beta capsule but apparently not knowing what it is or what it does. Fuji comes to his aid, as Hayata watches Zoffy take Ultraman home. This is a rather different finish to the series than stated in the English dub, which states both that Ultraman will return and that Hayata retains not only his beta capsule but also, apparently, his full memories of all his experiences as he awaits Ultraman's return. The latter ending appears to have been adopted by Tsuburaya as the definitive ending, as Hayata reappears several times throughout the series as Ultraman's host in times of need. Characters Ultras SSSP * Captain Toshio "Cap" Muramatsu * Daisuke Arashi * Mitsuhiro Ide * Akiko Fuji * Isamu Hoshino Monsters * Bemlar (1) * Alien Baltan (2) ** Alien Baltan II (16) ** Alien Baltan "III" (33) * Neronga (3) * Ragon II (4) * Greenmons (5) * Gesura (6) * Antlar (7) * Red King (8) ** Red King II (25) * Chandrah (8) * Magular (8) * Suflan (8) * Pigmon (8) ** Re-Pigmon (37) * Gabora (9) * Jirass (10) * Gyango (11) * Mummy Man (12) * Dodongo (12) * Pestar (13) * Gamakujira (14) * Gavadon (15) * Bullton (17) * Alien Zarab (18) ** Alien Zarab "II" (33) * Banila (19) * Aboras (19) * Hydra (20) * Kemular (21) * The Underground People (22) * Telesdon (22) ** Re-Telesdon (37) * Jamila (23) * Gubila (24) * Gigas (25) * Dorako (25) ** Re-Dorako (37) * Gomora (26-27) * Dada (28) * Goldon (29) * Woo (30) * Keronia (31) * Zambolar (32) * Kemur Man "II" (33) * Alien Mefilas (33) * Skydon (34) * Seabones (35) * Zaragas (36) * Geronimon (37) * Kiyla (38) * Saigo (38) * Alien Zetton (39) * Zetton (39) Arsenal * Beta Capsule * Jet VTOL * Sub-VTOL * S16, S21, S25 * Underground Tank Pelucidar * Science Special Search Party Car * Supergun * Spider-Shot * Mars 133 * QX Gun * Mad Bazooka * Spark 8 * Monster Translator * Science Special Search Party Shuriken * Communicator Pin Episodes Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : (grunts); (1, & 39）(voice); (15) (voice) * : (1-19) * , : Songs ;Opening theme * **Lyrics: Kyoichi Azuma **Composition: Kunio Miyauchi **Artist: Misuzu Children's Choral Group External links *Watch on Hulu *Watch on Shout Factory TV